The own headquarters of Terra Gaz Construct, one of Romania’s major general construction contractors. For a firm that builds for others, its own headquarters is also a calling card — and the project’s central theme was for the building’s new image to reflect the company’s scale and quality standard. The intervention covered the strengthening, re-facading and interior reconfiguration of the existing office building (G+2F), plus an adjacent extension of the same function, treated as a unified whole.

Challenges

The project worked on an existing building, not on bare land. Image: a builder’s headquarters had to communicate clearly, to clients and partners, the firm’s scale and demands. Existing building: the complete re-facading, the major interior reconfiguration — including relocating the vertical circulation core — and the adjacent extension had to be coordinated so the result reads as a single coherent building. Alignment with current requirements: meeting the nZEB standard, with a photovoltaic system and additional thermal insulation on an already-built envelope.

Solutions

The new image is given by a ventilated facade of aluminium composite panels (bond type) mounted over an additional insulated metal structure, replacing the existing curtain wall, completed by metal canopies on the ground floor and a terrace on the access facade. The choice of materials and the level of detail were calibrated to reflect a builder’s identity — for a client who is himself an execution specialist, the quality of the finishes was the main criterion. The extension connects with the existing body at every floor and takes over the new vertical circulation core. The building is designed to the nZEB standard, with photovoltaics on the roof.

Result

For Terra Gaz Construct, a renewed headquarters that also plays its part as a company image — coherent, high quality, fit for a general contractor. For PPAE, the coordination as General Designer of a complete intervention on a building in use — strengthening, re-facading, reconfiguration and extension — for a client who is himself a builder, hence with high expectations of detail and execution.

Do you have an existing office building you want to strengthen, extend and give a new image? The PPAE team can support your project from concept to completion. Contact us